Neil Young
Neil Young in Austin, Texas on November 9, 1976
Background information
Birth name	Neil Percival Young
Also known as	Bernard Shakey, Joe Yankee, Joe Canuck, Phil Perspective, Shakey Deal, Clyde Coil, Shakey, Dr. Shakes
Born	November 12, 1945 (1945-11-12) (age 62)
Origin	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genre(s)	Rock, folk rock, country rock, hard rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, Songwriter, Producer, Screenwriter
Instrument(s)	Vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, banjo, synclavier
Years active	1960–present
Label(s)	Reprise, Geffen
Associated acts	The Jades, The Squires, The Mynah Birds, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crazy Horse, The Stray Gators, The Stills-Young Band, The Ducks, Pearl Jam, Northern Lights
Website	http://www.neilyoung.com
Notable instrument(s)
Gibson R6 Les Paul Goldtop "Old Black"

Neil Percival Young^[1] OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician and film director. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of Folk music and rock music. For the geological term see Country rock (geology. Country rock is a Musical Genre formed from the fusion of rock Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Screenwriters or scenarists are Scriptwriters who write the Screenplays from which Films and Television programs are made A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles A harmonica is a free reed Wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes (reed chambers or The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers The banjo is a Stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments The Synclavier System was an early Synthesizer and sampler, manufactured by New England Digital. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Reprise Records is an American Record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra, which is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated Geffen Records is an American Record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label The Jades were a Rock band formed in late 1960 and consisted of musicians Neil Young, Ken Koblun John Daniel David Gregg and Jim Atkin The Mynah Birds were a R&B band based in Toronto, Ontario in the 1960s Buffalo Springfield was a short-lived but influential Folk rock group that served as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Crosby Stills & Nash ( CSN) is a Folk rock / rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash Crazy Horse is a rock band best known for its long association with Canadian singer/songwriter Neil Young, despite having released five albums of its own over The Stray Gators were the musicians Jack Nitzsche ( piano) Ben Keith ( steel guitar) Tim Drummond ( bass) and Kenny Long May You Run is an album credited to "The Stills-Young Band" but is a de facto collaboration between Stephen Stills and Neil Young, released For the Disney characters see Donald Duck universe characters. Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990 Northern Lights was the name used by the supergroup of Canadian musicians who were gathered by the music talent manager Bruce Allen in 1985 to The Gibson Les Paul is a solidbody Electric guitar originally developed in the early 1950s Old Black is the name given to the main Electric guitar used by rock Musician Neil Young. The Order of Manitoba, established in 1999, is the highest honour of the Province of Manitoba. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Singer-songwriter is a term that refers to Performers who write, compose and sing their own material including Lyrics A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film.

Young's work is characterized by deeply personal lyrics, distinctive guitar work, and signature nasal tenor singing voice. The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice Although he accompanies himself on several different instruments—including piano and harmonica—his style of claw-hammer acoustic guitar and often idiosyncratic soloing on electric guitar are the linchpins of a sometimes ragged, sometimes polished sound. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers A harmonica is a free reed Wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes (reed chambers or A steel-string acoustic guitar, is a modern form of Guitar descended from the Classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter louder sound Although Young has experimented widely with differing music styles, including swing, jazz, rockabilly, blues, and electronic music throughout a varied career, his best known work usually falls into either of two distinct styles: folk-esque acoustic rock (as heard in songs such as "Heart of Gold", "Harvest Moon" and "Old Man") and electric-charged hard rock (in songs like "Cinnamon Girl", "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)"). Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of Rock and roll music and emerged in the early 1950s The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of Folk music and rock music. Acoustic music refers to music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means as opposed to Electronic means Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. " Heart of Gold " from the 1972 album Harvest is Neil Young 's only number one hit single in his long musical career " Old Man " is a song written and performed by Neil Young on his 1972 Album Harvest. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock " Cinnamon Girl " is a song by Neil Young. It debuted on the 1969 album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, which was also Neil's first album with " Rockin' in the Free World " is a song by Neil Young, released on his 1989 album Freedom. " Hey Hey My My (Into the Black " is a rock song by Neil Young. In more recent years, Young has started to adopt elements from newer styles of music, such as industrial, alternative country and grunge, the latter of which was profoundly influenced by his own style of playing, often bringing him the title of "the godfather of grunge". Industrial music is a loose term for a number of different styles of Experimental music, especially but not necessarily Electronic music. Alternative country is a term used to describe a number of Country music subgenres that tend to differ from mainstream or pop country music A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's Baptism.

Young has directed (or co-directed) a number of films using the pseudonym Bernard Shakey, including Journey Through the Past (1973), Rust Never Sleeps (1979), Human Highway (1982), and Greendale (2003). A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) Human Highway is a 1982 Comedy film starring and co-directed by Neil Young under his Pseudonym Bernard Shakey Greendale is the name of an album and a movie both released in 2003 by Neil Young. ^[2]

He is also an outspoken advocate for environmental issues and small farmers, having co-founded the benefit concert Farm Aid, and in 1986 helped found The Bridge School,^[3] and its annual supporting Bridge School Benefit concerts, together with his wife Pegi. A benefit concert is a Concert, show or gala featuring musicians comedians or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose often directed at a specific Farm Aid started as a Benefit concert on September 22, 1985, in Champaign Illinois, held to raise money for Family farmers in the The Bridge School Benefit is an annual non-profit charity concert held in Mountain View California every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre.

Although Young sings frequently about U. S. legends and myths (Pocahontas, space stations, and the settlement of the American West),^[4] he remains a Canadian citizen and has never wanted to relinquish his Canadian citizenship. He has lived in the U. S. for "so long" and has stated, about U. S. elections, that he has "got just as much right to vote in them as anybody else. "^[5]

Biography

Early years

Neil Young was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to sportswriter and novelist Scott Young and Edna Ragland (known as Rassy) , who had moved to Toronto from their family home of Manitoba to pursue a sport journalism career. Scott Young ( April 14, 1918 &ndash June 12, 2005) was a Canadian Journalist, Sportswriter, Novelist Edna "Rassy" Ragland was a Canadian television personality best known as a panelist on the Canadian version of Twenty Questions in the early Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116  sq mi of North America Neil spent his early years in the small country town of Omemee, 130 km northeast of Toronto. Omemee is a community within the City of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada, formerly known as Victoria County. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario

Young was diagnosed with diabetes as a child^[6] and a bout of polio at the age of 6 left him with a weakened left side; he still walks with a slight limp. Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral Infectious disease spread from person to person primarily via

His parents divorced when Young was 12, and he moved with his mother back to the family home of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where his music career began. Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116  sq mi of North America

When Neil Young arrived in Winnipeg from Ontario, he already knew what it was like to be uprooted, since his family had gone wherever his father's career in journalism had taken him. But after the break-up of his parents' marriage, Neil and his mother Rassy settled into the working class suburb of Fort Rouge where the shy, dry-humoured youth enrolled at Earl Grey Junior High School. Fort Rouge is an area in south-central Winnipeg, Manitoba, and was Winnipeg 's first true suburb It was there that he met Ken Koblun, later to join him in The Squires, he liked them and there that he formed his first band the Jades. The Jades were a Rock band formed in late 1960 and consisted of musicians Neil Young, Ken Koblun John Daniel David Gregg and Jim Atkin

While attending Kelvin High School in Winnipeg, he played in several instrumental rock bands. Kelvin High School is a public high school, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Young's first stable band was called the Squires, and they had a local hit called "The Sultan. " Young dropped out of high school^[7] and also played in Fort William, where they recorded a series of demos produced by a local producer named Ray Dee, whom Young called "the original Briggs. Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. "^[8] While in Thunder Bay, Young first encountered Stephen Stills. Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945 is an American Guitarist and Singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and In the 2006 film Heart of Gold Young relates how he used to spend time as a teenager at Falcon Lake, Manitoba where he would endlessly plug coins into the jukebox to hear Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Falcon Lake is located in the Whiteshell Provincial Park in southeastern Manitoba, Canada. Ian (Dawson Tyson Singer songwriter guitarist rancher b Victoria BC 25 Sep 1933 honorary D LITT (Athabaska 1993 honorary LLD (Calgary 2001 " Four Strong Winds " is a song written by Ian Tyson in the early 1960s "

After leaving the Squires, Neil worked folk clubs in Winnipeg, where he first met Joni Mitchell. Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7 1943) is a Canadian Musician, Songwriter, and ^[9] Here he wrote some of his earliest and most enduring folk songs such as the classic "Sugar Mountain" about his lost youth. Mitchell wrote "The Circle Game" in response.

In 1965 Young toured Canada as a solo artist and composing music for commercial advertisements. In 1966, he joined Rick James-fronted Mynah Birds. Rick James (born James Ambrose Johnson Jr) ( February 1 1948 &ndash August 6 2004) was an American musician The Mynah Birds were a R&B band based in Toronto, Ontario in the 1960s The band managed to secure a record deal with the Motown label. "Motown" redirects here For the city see Detroit Michigan. Unfortunately, as their first album was being recorded James was arrested for being AWOL from the army. In Military terminology desertion is the Abandonment of a " Duty " or post without permission from one's Government or superior ^[10] After the Mynah Birds disbanded, Young and bass player Bruce Palmer relocated to Los Angeles. Bruce Palmer ( September 9 1946 – October 1 2004) was a Canadian musician most famous for playing Bass guitar in the influential Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Young has admitted in an interview that he was in the United States illegally until receiving a green card in 1970. ^[11]

Buffalo Springfield

Once they reached Los Angeles, Young and Palmer met up with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, and Dewey Martin to form Buffalo Springfield. Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945 is an American Guitarist and Singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Richie Furay (born Paul Richard Furay 9 May 1944, Yellow Springs, Ohio) is an American Singer, Songwriter Buffalo Springfield was a short-lived but influential Folk rock group that served as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, A mixture of folk, country, psychedelia, and rock lent a hard edge by the twin lead guitars of Stills and Young made Buffalo Springfield a critical success, and their first record Buffalo Springfield (1967) sold well after Stills' topical song "For What It's Worth" became a hit - aided by Young's melodic harmonics played on electric guitar. Psychedelic music is a term that refers to a broad set of popular music styles genres and scenes that may include Psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, Psychedelic Buffalo Springfield is the self-titled debut Album by Folk rock band Buffalo Springfield, released in 1966 (see 1966 in music)

Distrust of their management, as well as the arrest and deportation of Palmer, exacerbated the already strained relations among the group members and led to Buffalo Springfield's demise. A second album, Buffalo Springfield Again, was released in late 1967, but two of Young’s three contributions were actually solo tracks recorded apart from the rest of the group. Buffalo Springfield Again is a Folk rock album by Buffalo Springfield, a band which included future stars Stephen Stills, Neil Young

In many ways, these three songs on Buffalo Springfield Again are harbingers of much of Young's later work in that, although they all share deeply personal, almost idiosyncratic lyrics, they also present three very different musical approaches to the arrangement of what is essentially an original folk song. "Mr Soul," the only Young song of the three that all five members of the group perform together. In contrast, "Broken Arrow" was confessional folk rock of a kind that would characterize much of the music that emerged from the singer-songwriter movement. " Broken Arrow " is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young and recorded by Buffalo Springfield on their 1967 album Young’s experimental production intersperses each verse with snippets of sound from other sources, including opening the song with a sound bite of Dewey Martin singing "Mr. Soul" and closing it with the thumping of a heartbeat. "Expecting to Fly" was a lushly produced ballad featuring a string arrangement that Young's co-producer for the track, Jack Nitzsche, would dub "symphonic pop. A ballad is a Poem usually set to Music; thus it often is a story told in a Song. Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche ( April 22 1937  &ndash August 25 2000) was an arranger producer songwriter and Academy Award "

In May 1968, the band split up for good, but in order to fulfill a contractual obligation, a final album, Last Time Around, was recorded, primarily from recordings made earlier that year. Last Time Around is the third and final album by Folk rock band Buffalo Springfield, released in 1968 (see 1968 in music) Young contributed the songs "On the Way Home" and "I Am a Child", singing lead on the latter.

Solo success & CSNY

After the breakup of Buffalo Springfield, Young signed a solo deal with Reprise Records, home of his colleague and friend Joni Mitchell, with whom he shared a manager, Elliot Roberts. Reprise Records is an American Record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra, which is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7 1943) is a Canadian Musician, Songwriter, and Young and Nitzsche immediately began work on Young's first solo record, Neil Young (November 1968), which received mixed reviews. Neil Young is the solo debut Album by Canadian Musician Neil Young. In a 1970 interview,^[12] Young deprecated the album as being "overdubbed rather than played," and the quest for music that expresses the spontaneity of the moment has long been a feature of his career. Nevertheless, the album contains some tunes that remain a staple of his live shows, most notably "The Loner. "

For his next album, Young recruited three musicians from a band called The Rockets: Danny Whitten on guitar, Billy Talbot on bass guitar, and Ralph Molina on drums. Danny Ray Whitten ( May 8, 1943 - November 18, 1972) was an American musician and Songwriter best known for his work with Billy Talbot is an American Singer-songwriter, best known as the Bassist for Neil Young 's back-up band Crazy Horse. Ralph Molina is an American Musician, best known as the drummer for Neil Young 's backing band Crazy Horse. A drum kit (also drum set or trap set) is a collection of Drums Cymbals and sometimes other Percussion instruments such as cowbells These three took the name Crazy Horse (after the historical figure of the same name), and Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (May 1969), is credited to "Neil Young with Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse is a rock band best known for its long association with Canadian singer/songwriter Neil Young, despite having released five albums of its own over Crazy Horse ( Lakota: Thašuŋka Witko, literally "His-Horse-is-Crazy" (ca Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969 is Neil Young 's second solo album and his first with backing band Crazy Horse. " Recorded in just two weeks, the album opens with one of Young's most familiar songs, "Cinnamon Girl," and is dominated by two more, "Cowgirl in the Sand" and "Down by the River," that feature lengthy jams showcasing Young's idiosyncratic guitar soloing accompanied sympathetically by Crazy Horse. Young reportedly wrote all three songs on the same day, while nursing a high fever of 103 °F (39. 5 °C) in bed.

Shortly after the release of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Young reunited with Stephen Stills by joining Crosby, Stills, & Nash, who had already released one album as a trio. Crosby Stills & Nash ( CSN) is a Folk rock / rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash Young was originally offered a position as a sideman, but agreed to join only if he received full membership, and the group was renamed Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. ^[13] The quartet debuted in Chicago on August 16, 1969, and later performed at the famous Woodstock Festival, during which Young skipped the acoustic set and refused to be filmed during the electric set, even telling the cameramen: "One of you fuckin' guys comes near me and I'm gonna fuckin' hit you with my guitar". Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Events 1384 - The Hongwu Emperor of Ming China, Emperor Dong hears a case of a couple who tore paper money bills while fighting Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[14] During the making of their first album, Déjà Vu, the musicians frequently argued, particularly Young and Stills, who both fought for control. Déjà Vu is the second album by rock band Crosby Stills & Nash, and their first as Crosby Stills Nash & Young, released on March 11 ^[15]

"Ohio" was written following the Kent State massacre on May 4, 1970, and was a staple of anti-war rallies in the 1970s. " Ohio " is a Protest song performed by Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and sung by Neil Young in reaction to the Kent State shootings IMPORTANT After careful consideration the title "Kent State Shootings" has been applied in this article rather than "Kent State Massacre Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Events Charles Wuorinen, aged 32 becomes the youngest composer ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The song was quickly recorded by CSNY and immediately released as a single, even though CSNY's "Teach Your Children" was still climbing the singles charts. Many believe that the release "Ohio" as a single cut into the sales of "Teach Your Children" and prevented that song from reaching the top ten. In the late 1970s and for much of the 1980s, Young refrained from performing "Ohio" live, as he considered the song to be dated. In the wake of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, however, Young revived the song in concert, often dedicating it to the Chinese students who were killed in the massacre. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 culminating in the Tiananmen Square Massacre (referred to in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident, to avoid confusion with two Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Interestingly, Crosby, Stills & Nash, as a trio, also returned the song to their live repertoire around the same time, even though Young had provided the lead vocals on the original recording.

Also that year, Young released his third solo album, After the Gold Rush (1970), which featured, among others, a young Nils Lofgren, Stephen Stills, and CSNY bassist Greg Reeves. After the Gold Rush is the third album by Neil Young, and one of four high-profile albums released by each partner of Crosby Stills Nash & Young For the Swedish scientist who developed the anaesthetic Lidocaine, see Nils Löfgren. Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945 is an American Guitarist and Singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Young also recorded some tracks with Crazy Horse, but dismissed them early in the sessions. Aided by his newfound fame with CSNY, the album was a commercial breakthrough for Young and contains some of his best known work. Notable tracks include the title track, with dream-like lyrics that run a gamut of subjects from drugs and interpersonal relationships to environmental concerns, as well as Young’s controversial and acerbic condemnation of racism in "Southern Man," which, along with a later song entitled "Alabama," later prompted Lynyrd Skynyrd to decry Young by name in the lyrics to "Sweet Home Alabama. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that In New Zealand, the southern man is a stereotypical southern heterosexual male well used to the loneliness and conditions of open mountain or hill country and completely out Lynyrd Skynyrd (ˌlɛnɚdˈskɪnɝd is an American Southern rock band " Sweet Home Alabama " is a song by Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd that first appeared in 1974 on their second album Second Helping "

With CSNY splitting up and Crazy Horse having signed their own record deal, Young began the year 1971 with a solo tour entitled "Journey Through the Past. " Later, he recruited a new group of country-music session musicians, whom he christened The Stray Gators, to record much of the new material that had been premiered on tour for the album Harvest (1972). The Stray Gators were the musicians Jack Nitzsche ( piano) Ben Keith ( steel guitar) Tim Drummond ( bass) and Kenny Harvest is an album by Neil Young, which was the best-selling album of 1972 Harvest was a massive hit (especially with the country-music crowd) and "Heart of Gold" became a US number one single. Another notable song was "The Needle and the Damage Done," a lament for talented artists who died because of heroin addiction; inspired in part by the heroin use of Crazy Horse member Danny Whitten, who would eventually die of an overdose. "The Needle and the Damage Done" is a song by Neil Young that chronicles the descent of musicians he knew into Heroin addiction. ^[16]

The album's success, however, caught Young off guard, and his first instinct was to back away from stardom. In the handwritten liner notes to the Decade compilation, Young described 'Heart of Gold' as the song that "put me in the middle of the road. Decade is a triple album compilation by Neil Young, released in 1977 now available on two Compact discs. Travelling there soon became a bore, so I headed for the ditch. A rougher ride but I saw more interesting people there. "

On September 8, 1972, the Academy Award-nominated actress Carrie Snodgress, with whom he had been living, gave birth to Neil Young's first child. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Caroline "Carrie" Snodgress ( October 27, 1946 - April 1, 2004) was a Golden Globe Award -winning Academy Award The boy, Zeke, was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Young fell in love with Snodgress after seeing her in a movie on television after which Young wrote the song "A Man Needs a Maid" from the Harvest album, featuring the lyric "I fell in love with the actress/she was playing a part that I could understand. A Man Needs a Maid is the 405 minute-long 3rd track from Neil Young 's album Harvest about the actress Carrie Snodgress, Young's girlfriend at the time "

The Ditch Trilogy

Although a new tour had been planned to follow up on the success of Harvest, it became apparent during rehearsals that Danny Whitten could not function due to drug abuse. Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions related to taking a Psychoactive drug or Performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect On November 18, 1972, shortly after he was fired from the tour preparations, Whitten was found dead of an overdose. Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the Ingestion or application of a Drug or other substance in quantities Young described the incident to Rolling Stone’s Cameron Crowe in 1975,^[17] "[We] were rehearsing with him and he just couldn't cut it. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an Academy Award -winning American Writer and Film director. He couldn't remember anything. He was too out of it. Too far gone. I had to tell him to go back to L. A. 'It's not happening, man. You're not together enough. ' He just said, 'I've got nowhere else to go, man. How am I gonna tell my friends?' And he split. That night the coroner called me from L. A. and told me he'd ODed. That blew my mind. Fucking blew my mind. I loved Danny. I felt responsible. And from there, I had to go right out on this huge tour of huge arenas. I was very nervous and . . . insecure. "

The album made in the aftermath of this incident, Time Fades Away (1973), has often been described by Young as "my least favourite record," and it is, in fact, one of only two of Young’s early recordings that has yet to be officially re-released on CD (The other being the soundtrack album Journey Through the Past). Time Fades Away is a 1973 Live album by Neil Young, consisting of previously unreleased material Journey Through the Past is a Soundtrack album by Neil Young. The album was recorded live over a tour where Neil struggled with his voice and called David Crosby and Graham Nash to help perform the music. David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American Guitarist, Singer, and Songwriter. Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is an British-American Singer-songwriter known for his light tenor vocals and for his songwriting contributions The tour was also notable as Linda Ronstadt began touring as the opening act for the Time Fades Away tour. Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15 1946 in Tucson Arizona) is an American popular vocalist and Entertainer whose vocal styles in a variety Time Fades Away occupies a unique position in Young’s discography as the first of three albums known collectively as the "Ditch Trilogy," and has also been referred to as the "Doom Trilogy" by some writers. The Ditch Trilogy refers to a trio of Rock music albums by Neil Young made in the wake of his chart-topping best-seller Harvest.

In the second half of 1973, Young formed The Santa Monica Flyers, with Crazy Horse's rhythm section augmented by Nils Lofgren on guitar. Deeply affected by the drug-induced deaths of Whitten and roadie Bruce Berry, Young recorded Tonight's the Night. "Roadie" redirects here For the 1980 movie see Roadie (film. Bruce Berry was a professional Roadie for the members of CSNY both as a group and individually Tonight's the Night is a 1975 album by Neil Young. Dark heartfelt and raw Tonight's the Night was recorded in 1973 but initially rejected by The album's dark tone and rawness caused Reprise to delay the release until two years later and only after being pressured by Young to do so. ^[18] The album received mixed reviews at the time, but is now regarded by some as a precursor to punk rock. In Young's own opinion, it was the closest he ever came to art. ^[19]

While his record company delayed the release of Tonight's the Night, Young recorded On the Beach (1974), which dealt with themes such as the downside of fame and the Californian lifestyle. On the Beach is a rock album by Neil Young, released in 1974 The title track may be inspired by the novel and movie On the Beach Like Time Fades Away and Tonight's the Night, it sold poorly but would eventually become a critical favourite, presenting some of Young's most original work. In a review of the 2003 re-release on CD of On the Beach Derek Svennungsen described the music as "mesmerizing, harrowing, lucid, and bleary,"^[20] a characterization that many would say is an apt description of the entire Ditch Trilogy.

Return to prominence

After completing On the Beach, Young reunited with Harvest producer Elliot Mazer to record another acoustic album, Homegrown. Homegrown is an unreleased country-rock album by Neil Young. It was so near to being released that a cover had been created Most of the songs were written after Young's breakup with Snodgress, and thus the tone of the album was somewhat dark. Though the album was entirely completed, Young decided to drop the album and release Tonight's the Night instead, at the suggestion of The Band bassist Rick Danko. The Band was a rock group active from 1967 to 1976 and again from 1983 to 1999 Richard Clare "Rick" Danko ( December 29, 1942 – December 10, 1999) was a Canadian musician and singer best known as a ^[21] Young further explained his move by saying: "It was a little too personal. . . it scared me". ^[22]

Young reformed Crazy Horse with Frank Sampedro on guitar as his backup band for Zuma (1975). Frank "Pancho" Sampedro (born February 25, 1949) is an American musician and member of the Rock and roll band Zuma is a rock album by Neil Young with Crazy Horse released in 1975. Many of the songs are overtly concerned with failed relationships, and even the epic "Cortez the Killer," outwardly a retelling of the Spanish conquest of Mexico from the viewpoint of the Aztecs, can be seen as an allegory of love lost—something that didn’t save it, however, from being banned in Franco's Spain. "Cortez the Killer" is a song by Neil Young from his 1975 album Zuma. The Spanish colonization of the Americas was Spain 's conquest settlement and rule over much of the Western hemisphere. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

The following year, Young reunited with Stephen Stills for the album Long May You Run (1976), credited to The Stills-Young Band; the follow-up tour was ended midway through by Young, who sent Stills a telegram that read: "Funny how some things that start spontaneously end that way. Long May You Run is an album credited to "The Stills-Young Band" but is a de facto collaboration between Stephen Stills and Neil Young, released Long May You Run is an album credited to "The Stills-Young Band" but is a de facto collaboration between Stephen Stills and Neil Young, released Eat a peach, Neil. "^[23]

In 1976, Young performed with The Band, Joni Mitchell, and other rock musicians in the high profile all-star concert The Last Waltz. The Band was a rock group active from 1967 to 1976 and again from 1983 to 1999 The Last Waltz was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on Thanksgiving Day, November 25 1976 at Winterland Ballroom The release of Martin Scorsese's movie of the concert was delayed while Scorsese unwillingly re-edited it to deemphasize the lump of cocaine that was clearly visible hanging from Young's nose during his performance of "Helpless."^[24] Young later said, "I'm not proud of that," according to one of his biographers. " Helpless " is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, most famously recorded by Crosby Stills Nash & Young on their

American Stars 'N Bars (1977) contained two songs originally recorded for Homegrown album, "Homegrown" and "Star of Bethelehem," as well as newer material, including the future concert staple "Like A Hurricane". American Stars 'n Bars is a 1977 rock album by Neil Young, the most popular track being " Like a Hurricane " Performers included Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Young protégé Nicolette Larson along with Crazy Horse. Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15 1946 in Tucson Arizona) is an American popular vocalist and Entertainer whose vocal styles in a variety Emmylou Harris (born April 2 1947) is an American country, folk, alternative rock, and Alternative country Nicolette Larson ( July 17, 1952 – December 16, 1997) was an American Singer best known for her 1979 Cover version Also in 1977, Young released Decade: a personally selected career summary of material spanning every aspect of his various interests and affiliations, including a handful of unreleased songs. Decade is a triple album compilation by Neil Young, released in 1977 now available on two Compact discs. Comes a Time (1978) also featured Nicolette Larson and Crazy Horse and became Young's most commercially accessible album in quite some time, marked by a return to his folk roots. Comes a Time is a 1978 album by Neil Young, and a return to the country / Folk rock sound of Harvest (1972

Young next set out on the lengthy "Rust Never Sleeps" tour, in which each concert was divided into a solo acoustic set and an electric set with Crazy Horse. Much of the electric set was later seen as a response to punk rock's burgeoning popularity. "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)" compared the changing public perception of Johnny Rotten with that of the recently deceased Elvis Presley, who himself had once been disparaged as a dangerous influence only to later become an icon. John Joseph Lydon (born 31 January 1956 in London England also known as Johnny Rotten, is a British Rock musician best known as lead vocalist for the Punk Pop icon is a Celebrity whose fame in pop culture constitutes a defining characteristic of a given society or era Rotten, meanwhile, returned the favour by playing one of Young's records on a London radio show. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The accompanying albums Rust Never Sleeps (new material, culled from live recordings, but featuring studio overdubs) and Live Rust (a mixture of old and new, and a genuine concert recording) captured the two sides of the concerts, with solo acoustic songs on side A, and fierce, uptempo, electric songs on side B. Rust Never Sleeps is a 1979 Album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse (see 1979 in music) Live Rust is a Live album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse, recorded on, at the Cow Palace, San Francisco and released A movie version of the concerts, also called Rust Never Sleeps (1979), was directed by Young under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey.

Young was suddenly hip again, and the readers and critics of Rolling Stone voted him Artist Of The Year for 1979 (along with The Who), selected Rust Never Sleeps as Album Of The Year, and voted him Male Vocalist Of The Year as well. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Rust Never Sleeps is a 1979 Album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse (see 1979 in music)

1980s - Experimental years

The 1980s were a lean time for Young both critically and commercially. After providing the incidental music to a biopic of Hunter S. Thompson entitled Where the Buffalo Roam, he recorded Hawks & Doves (1980), a folk/country record. A biographical motion picture &mdash often shortened to biopic &mdash is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people Hunter Stockton Thompson ( July 18, 1937 &ndash February 20, 2005) was an American Journalist and Author, most Where the Buffalo Roam is a 1980 Comedy film based on a number of semi-biographical stories written by author Hunter S Hawks & Doves is a 1980 Album by Neil Young. Its two sides were recorded in different circumstance side one being culled from sessions dating from Re-ac-tor (1981), once again with Crazy Horse, was a façade of distortion and feedback obscuring a relatively weak selection of songs, but his strangest record of the decade came with Trans (1982). Re-ac-tor is an Album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse, released in 1981 Trans is an album by Neil Young, released in 1982. Recorded partially and released during his notorious Geffen era in the 1980s Trans Recorded partially with vocoders, synthesizers, and other devices that modified instruments and vocals with electronic effects, it is sometimes considered an experiment related to finding a technology that would become a means to communicate for Young’s son (with his wife Pegi), Ben, who has severe cerebral palsy and cannot speak. A vocoder, ˈvoʊkoʊdər (a Portmanteau of vox/voc ( voice) and encoder) is an analysis / synthesis system mostly used for speech in which the input is Cerebral palsy ( CP) is an Umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non- contagious conditions that cause Physical disability Many fans were baffled by the radical forms of this album and rockabilly-styled Everybody's Rockin' (1983), and record company head David Geffen even sued Young for making "unrepresentative" music—i. Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of Rock and roll music and emerged in the early 1950s Everybody's Rockin is a 1983 Album by Neil Young. The album was recorded with the Shocking Pinks (a band made up just for the occasion and features a selection of David Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American Record executive, Film producer, Theatrical producer and philanthropist e. music that did not sound like Neil Young—that deliberately lacked commercial appeal. ^[25] Young later stated that he would have preferred to release the songs featuring the synclavier and vocoder as an EP, and that their inclusion with the Hawaiian-themed rockabilly was a mistake. The Synclavier System was an early Synthesizer and sampler, manufactured by New England Digital. A vocoder, ˈvoʊkoʊdər (a Portmanteau of vox/voc ( voice) and encoder) is an analysis / synthesis system mostly used for speech in which the input is Also premiered at this time though little seen was an eclectic full-length comedy film Human Highway starring, co-directed and co-written by Young. Human Highway is a 1982 Comedy film starring and co-directed by Neil Young under his Pseudonym Bernard Shakey

In 1983, Young worked with British video director Tim Pope, making two videos - "Wonderin'" and "Cry, Cry, Cry. Tim Pope is an award-winning Film director most famous for his Music videos having directed feature films, and for a brief pop career "

In 1985, he reunited with Crosby, Stills and Nash at Live Aid at Philadelphia's John F. Kennedy Stadium. Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert held on. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia John F Kennedy Stadium (or JFK Stadium) was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stood from 1925 to 1992 The two songs that they played, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "Daylight Again/Find The Cost of Freedom," were the first songs they had played as a quartet in front of a paying audience since 1974. Daylight Again is a 1982 rock Album by the band Crosby Stills & Nash, their fourth of completely original material and seventh in total

Old Ways (1985) saw a return to country music, recorded with a group of friends and session musicians. Old Ways is a country album by Neil Young, released in 1985 Young refers to this album in interviews as Old Ways II, as he had originally planned Landing on Water (1986) is entertaining for the blending of synthesizers and other instruments related to the 80's into Young’s own style, with lyrics that take pot shots at some favourite targets, including CSN in "Hippie Dream," with a chorus that goes: "But the wooden ships/Were just a hippie dream," and David Geffen in "Drifter," with the line: "Don’t try to tell me what I gotta do to fit. Landing on Water was Neil Young 's 1986 return to rock music after experimenting with Rockabilly, Electronica and country " The resumption of his partnership with Crazy Horse on Life (1987) fulfilled his contract with Geffen, and Young was finally able to switch labels. Life is a 1987 Album by Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Young's first with his erstwhile backing band since 1981's Re-ac-tor.

Director Pope again made a series of videos from the album, including "Touch the Night" and "People on the Street".

Signing with Warner Brothers (which distributed Geffen at the time) and returning to Reprise Records, Young produced This Note's For You (1988) with a new band, The Bluenotes, whose name rights were owned by musician Harold Melvin. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and This Note's for You is an album originally credited to Neil Young and the Bluenotes released in 1988. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes were an American singing group one of the most popular Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s Young named his band after a cafe called the Blue Note on Main Street in Winnipeg Manitoba, where he had played. The addition of a brass section provided a new jazzier sound and the title track became his first hit single of the decade. A brass instrument is a Musical instrument whose tone is produced by vibration of the lips as the player blows into a tubular Resonator. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Accompanied by a witty video which parodied corporate rock, the pretensions of advertising and Michael Jackson in particular, the song was initially banned by MTV (although the Canadian music channel, MuchMusic ran it immediately) before being put into heavy rotation and finally given the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video of the Year for 1989. Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29 1958 is an American musician entertainer and businessman MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. MuchMusic (often referred to only as Much) is a Canadian English language Cable television Specialty channel owned by CTVglobemedia The following is a list of the MTV Video Music Awards winners for Video of the Year. After Melvin sued over the use of the Bluenotes name, Young renamed his back-up group "Ten Men Workin'" for the balance of the concert tour.

Young also contributed to that year's CSNY reunion American Dream (1988) and CSNY played a few benefit concerts. For the Mike Jones album see The American Dream (Mike Jones album American Dream is the 1988 reunion album for Crosby Stills & Nash with Neil Young, however, refused to book a full tour with CSN and the foursome would not embark upon a nationwide tour until 2000.

1990s - Return to country-rock roots

Freedom was a mixture of acoustic and electric rock dealing with the state of the U. } Freedom is a 1989 album by Neil Young. Freedom relaunched Neil Young's career after a mostly unsuccessful decade. S. and the world in 1989, alongside a set of love songs and a version of the standard "On Broadway. " "Rockin' in the Free World", two versions of which bookended the album, again caught the mood. " Rockin' in the Free World " is a song by Neil Young, released on his 1989 album Freedom. Some say it became a de facto anthem during the fall of the Berlin Wall, a few months after the record's release. The Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer was a physical barrier separating West Berlin from the German Democratic Republic (GDR ( East Germany) including However, most Germans don't remember the song being related to the reunification, understandably so, since the lyrics are not about political repression. Like Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.", the anthemic use of this song was based on largely ignoring the verses, which evoke social problems and implicitly criticize American government policies. " Born in the USA " is a 1984 Song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. In the summer of 1989, record executive Terry Tolkin conceived and produced a tribute album to Young's songs called "The Bridge: A Tribute To Neil Young," released on his No.6 Records label. Terry Tolkin was the Vice President of A&R at Elektra Records from 1992 to 1996 No6 Records was an influential independent record label started in 1989 as a subsidiary of Rough Trade Records by A&R representative and booking agent Terry It featured cover versions of 15 of Young's songs by the cream of the up and coming Alternative Music and Grunge music bands including Sonic Youth, Nick Cave, Soul Asylum, Dinosaur Jr,and The Pixies. Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957 in Warracknabeal, Victoria) is an Australian Musician, Songwriter, Author Soul Asylum is an American Alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983. Pixies are an American Alternative rock band formed in Boston Massachusetts in 1986 By 1990, grunge music was beginning to make its first inroads in the charts and many of its prime movers, including Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, cited Young as a major influence. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990 Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist

Using a barn on his Northern California ranch as a studio, he rapidly recorded Ragged Glory with Crazy Horse, whose guitar riffs and feedback driven sound showed his new admirers that he could still cut it. Northern California is the northern portion of the US state of California. Ragged Glory is a 1990 Album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. The album revisits the hard rock style previously explored on Everybody Young then headed back out on the road with LA punk band Social Distortion and alternative rock elder statesmen Sonic Youth as support, much to the consternation of many of his old fans. Social Distortion (sometimes referred to simply as Social D) is an American Punk rock band formed in 1978 Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 ^[26][27] Yet the influence of Sonic Youth could be clearly heard on the accompanying home video and live album, Weld, which also included a bonus CD entitled Arc, a single 35-minute-long collage of feedback and guitar noise that Neil included, evidently at the suggestion of Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore. Weld is a Live album and concert video by Neil Young & Crazy Horse released in 1991 comprising performances recorded on the tour to promote Arc is a composition of feedback guitar noise and vocal fragments that was realized from various shows on the 1991 Neil Young and Crazy Horse US tour Feedback is a circular causal Process whereby some proportion of a system's output is returned (fed back to the Input. Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958 in Coral Gables Florida) is an American Musician best known as a Singer, ^[28] Arc was later sold separately.

Young's next move was another return to country music. Harvest Moon (1992) was the long awaited sequel to Harvest and reunited him with some of the musicians from that session, as well as singers Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor. Harvest Moon is a Country-rock album by Neil Young, released in 1992 Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15 1946 in Tucson Arizona) is an American popular vocalist and Entertainer whose vocal styles in a variety James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Guitarist, born in Boston, Massachusetts The title track was a minor hit and the record was reviewed and sold equally well, containing songs such as "From Hank to Hendrix" and "Unknown Legend", a tribute to his wife. James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix) (November 27 1942 – September 18 1970 was an American Guitarist, Singer and Songwriter His resurgent popularity saw him booked on MTV Unplugged in 1993. MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing Acoustic instruments It was produced by Viacom and was directed by Beth In 1992 he accompanied fellow Winnipegger Randy Bachman on "Prairie Town," a song that recounts their days in the Winnipeg music scene of the 1960s. Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population Randolph Charles Bachman (the Bachman family name is pronounced as /bækmæn/ ( OC OM) (born September 27 1943 was lead guitarist and songwriter That year, he contributed music to the soundtrack of the Jonathan Demme movie Philadelphia, and his song "Philadelphia" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song, losing out to Bruce Springsteen's contribution to the same film. Robert Jonathan Demme (born February 22 1944) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, producer and Philadelphia is a 1993 Film revolving around HIV / AIDS, Homosexuality and prevailing attitudes concerning gays and homophobia The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture A summer tour covering both Europe and North America with Booker T. and the MGs (with whom he played two songs at a 1992 Bob Dylan tribute concert at Madison Square Garden) was widely praised as a triumph. Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. On a few of these dates, the show ended with a rendition of "Rockin' in the Free World" played with Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990

Young was back with Crazy Horse for 1994's Sleeps with Angels, a much darker record. Sleeps With Angels is a 1994 album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse released on the Warner Bros The title track told the story of Kurt Cobain's death; Young had reportedly made repeated attempts to contact Cobain prior to this event. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle ^[29] Cobain had quoted Young's "It's better to burn out than fade away" (a line from "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)") in his alleged suicide note, causing Young to emphasize the line "'cause once you're gone you can't come back" in live performances at the time. " Hey Hey My My (Into the Black " is a rock song by Neil Young. A suicide note is a message left by someone who later attempts or commits Suicide. Other songs dealt with drive-by shootings ("Driveby"), environmentalism ("Piece of Crap") and Young's own vision of America (the archetypal car metaphor of "Trans Am"). Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. Young was inspired to make the record after viewing Cobain's performance on MTV Unplugged. MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing Acoustic instruments It was produced by Viacom and was directed by Beth Still admired by the prime movers of grunge, Young eventually performed with Pearl Jam at the MTV Music Awards during what was described as the highlight of a lackluster show. ^[30] Their collaboration led to a joint tour, with the band and producer Brendan O'Brien backing Young. Brendan O'Brien (born June 30 1960 Atlanta, Georgia) is a Record producer, engineer and mixer who has worked with many prominent artists The accompanying album, Mirror Ball (1995), recorded as live in the studio captured their loose rock sound, and featured the standout track "I'm the Ocean". Mirror Ball is an album by Neil Young and Pearl Jam, released on June 27 1995 through Reprise Records. The year of 1995 also featured Young's entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States

After composing an abstract, distorted feedback-led guitar instrumental soundtrack to Jim Jarmusch's acid western film Dead Man Young recorded a series of loose jams with Crazy Horse that eventually appeared as the critically denigrated Broken Arrow. Jim Jarmusch (born January 22 1953 in Akron Ohio; ˈdʒɑrməʃ is an American independent Film director. Acid Western is a sub-genre of the Western film that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s that combined the metaphorical ambitions of top-shelf Westerns like Shane Dead Man is a 1995 film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Broken Arrow is a 1996 Album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse. The first three songs are in the form of long structured jams evoking the style The return to Crazy Horse was prompted by the death of mentor, friend, and longtime producer David Briggs in late 1995. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing David Briggs ( February 29, 1944 - November 26, 1995) was an American Record producer best known for his work with Neil Young The subsequent tours of Europe and North America in 1996 resulted in both a live album and a tour documentary directed by Jim Jarmusch. Jim Jarmusch (born January 22 1953 in Akron Ohio; ˈdʒɑrməʃ is an American independent Film director. Both releases took the name Year of the Horse. For the Chinese Zodiac year see Horse (zodiac. Year of the Horse is a 1997 documentary directed by Jim Jarmusch

In 1997, Young participated in the H.O.R.D.E. Festival's sixth annual tour. Horizons Of Rock Developing Everywhere or HORDE festival was a touring summer rock Music festival originated by

In 1998, Young shared the stage with the rock band Phish at the annual Farm Aid concert, and later offered them an opportunity to headline both nights of the Bridge School Benefit concert. Phish is an American Jam band noted for their Musical improvisation, extended Jam sessions and cult following Farm Aid started as a Benefit concert on September 22, 1985, in Champaign Illinois, held to raise money for Family farmers in the Phish passed on Young's offer and also declined Young's later invitation to be his backing band on a 1999 tour. Phish is an American Jam band noted for their Musical improvisation, extended Jam sessions and cult following ^[31]

The decade ended with Looking Forward, another reunion with Crosby, Stills and Nash. Looking Forward is an album by Folk rock band Crosby Stills Nash & Young, released on Oct 26 1999 (see 1999 in music) The subsequent tour of the United States and Canada with the reformed super quartet was a huge success and brought in earnings of $42. 1 million, making it the eighth largest grossing tour of 2000.

Young's next album, Silver & Gold (2000), contained a number of understated songs with personal lyrics, which was promoted through a mini-tour of solo acoustic shows. Silver & Gold is an album by Neil Young, released in 2000 Many of these songs were written as far back as 1976 (there is a bootleg of a Neil Young/Crazy Horse performance This style was continued in Are You Passionate? (2002), an album of love songs dedicated to his wife, Pegi. Are You Passionate? is a 2002 Album by Neil Young and Booker T & the MGs.

In the aftermath of 9/11

Young's 2001 single "Let's Roll", was a tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and the passengers and crew on Flight 93 in particular. " Let's roll " is a Catchphrase that has been used extensively as a term to move and start an activity attack mission or project United Airlines Flight 93 was a scheduled United States domestic passenger flight from Newark International Airport At the "America: A Tribute to Heroes" concert he performed a cover version of John Lennon's "Imagine". America A Tribute to Heroes was a Benefit concert organized by actor George Clooney and broadcast In Popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition ( Performance or Recording) of a previously recorded commercially released John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born " Imagine " is a song by John Lennon, which appears on his 1971 album Imagine. In 2002, Q magazine named Neil Young in their list of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die. Q is a Music Magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130179 as of June 2007 "

Young hauled out his concept album Greendale in 2003 -- about an extended family in a small town called Greendale, and how they are torn apart by a murder. Greendale is the name of an album and a movie both released in 2003 by Neil Young. Greendale was recorded with Crazy Horse members Billy Talbot and Ralph Molina. This tale of the Green family also resulted in a movie called Greendale, written and directed by Young (again using his "Bernard Shakey" pseudonym) and starring a few of his friends, who act out and lip sync the songs from the album. Lip-sync or Lip-synch (short for lip Synchronization) is a technical term for matching lip movements with voice The film was indeed thoroughly experimental, from Young's rambling on-stage between-song narratives, to his reading apparent transcriptions of these ramblings in the liner notes. "When I was writing this I had no idea what I was doing, so I was just as surprised as you are," Young said later. Young toured extensively with the Greendale material throughout 2003 and 2004, first with a solo, acoustic version in Europe, then with a full-cast stage show in North America, Japan, and Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. While audience reaction was sometimes mixed (drunken requests for "Southern Man" being an aesthetic impediment at most Young performances), the live stage version of Greendale was for many critics the most satisfying incarnation of the material, and bootlegs of the shows have been widely traded. The second half of each concert consisted of high-decibel renditions of Young classics such as "Hey Hey, My My," "Cinnamon Girl," "Powderfinger," and Rockin' in the Free World, as well as rarities such as "The Losing End," "The Old Country Waltz," and "Danger Bird. " Rockin' in the Free World " is a song by Neil Young, released on his 1989 album Freedom. "

Young spent the latter portion of 2004 giving a series of intimate acoustic concerts in various cities with his wife, Pegi, who is a trained vocalist.

Recent events

From left, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young and Pegi Young perform in Neil Young: Heart of Gold, which offered renditions of some of Young's best-known songs.

On March 31, 2005, Young was admitted to a hospital in New York for treatment for a brain aneurysm. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. An aneurysm (or aneurism) is a localized blood-filled dilation (balloon-like bulge of a blood vessel caused by disease or weakening of the vessel wall He was treated successfully by a minimally invasive neuroradiological procedure. Neuroradiology is a subspecialty of suspenseful radiology focusing on the diagnosis and characterization of abnormalites of the central and peripheral nervous system spine and head and Prior to undergoing the procedure, he wrote the first eight songs of a new album, Prairie Wind, in Nashville, with session musicians that included regular Young sideman Ben Keith on lap and pedal steel guitars. Prairie Wind is a Neil Young album released in 2005 After recent dalliances with 60s soul music ( Are You Passionate?) and rock opera ( Ben Keith is an American Pedal steel guitarist from Bowling Green Kentucky The pedal steel guitar is a type of Electric guitar that uses a metal slide to stop the strings rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar The last two songs on the album were written after his aneurysm procedure. Many of the songs, such as "Fallin' Off the Face of the Earth," seem to be inspired by Young's brush with mortality, the recent death of his father (who suffered senile dementia), as well as a connection with his Manitoba roots. Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific Dementia (from Latin de- "apart away" + Mens ( genitive mentis) "mind" is the progressive decline Manitoba (English ˌmænɨˈtoʊbə French /manitoba/ is a province of Canada, spanning 647797 square kilometres (250116  sq mi of North America Two days after the procedure, Young was forced to cancel a scheduled appearance on the Juno Awards telecast in Winnipeg when the area where the surgeons did his procedure (via the femoral artery) suddenly began to bleed. The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian Musical Artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music The femoral artery is a large Artery in the muscles of the Thigh. Young finally was able to return to Winnipeg in 2006 with Crosby, Stills and Nash.

He next performed on July 2, 2005, at the close of the Live 8 concert in Barrie, Ontario. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Live 8 was a string of Benefit concerts that took place on 2 July, 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. He presented a new song, a soft hymn called "When God Made Me," and ended with "Rockin' in the Free World". " Rockin' in the Free World " is a song by Neil Young, released on his 1989 album Freedom. He began his set with a cover of the Canadian folk classic "Four Strong Winds" by Ian & Sylvia Tyson. " Four Strong Winds " is a song written by Ian Tyson in the early 1960s Ian (Dawson Tyson Singer songwriter guitarist rancher b Victoria BC 25 Sep 1933 honorary D LITT (Athabaska 1993 honorary LLD (Calgary 2001 Sylvia Tyson, CM (born Sylvia Fricker September 19, 1940 in Chatham Ontario, Canada) is a Singer-songwriter (He had recorded this song on his Comes a Time album)

On September 28, 2005, Prairie Wind was released as a regular CD, a special limited-edition CD and DVD package, and on vinyl. Comes a Time is a 1978 album by Neil Young, and a return to the country / Folk rock sound of Harvest (1972 Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In an interview given to Time magazine, Young revealed that he had planned to keep the news of his aneurysm private until he had the bleeding scare, after which he decided to make news of his condition public. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and

In 2006, Neil Young: Heart of Gold, a film made by Jonathan Demme, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Neil YoungHeart of Gold is a 2006 documentary and concert film by Jonathan Demme, featuring Neil Young. Robert Jonathan Demme (born February 22 1944) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, producer and The Sundance Film Festival is a Film festival that takes place annually in the state of Utah, in the United States. Filmed over two nights at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee during the premiere of Prairie Wind, it includes both new and old songs as well as behind-the scenes-commentary by Young, his wife Pegi and others. The Ryman Auditorium is a 2362-seat live performance venue located at 116 Fifth Avenue North in Nashville, Tennessee, U

In April 2006, Young confirmed on his website^[32] that he was going to release an album full of protest songs, titled Living with War, one of whose songs is titled "Let's Impeach the President. Living with War is a 2006 Grammy and Juno Award -nominated Studio album by Canadian - American Musician Neil "Let's Impeach the President" is a Grammy Award -nominated Protest song written, produced and recorded by Neil Young. " Recorded using his famous Les Paul electric guitar, "Old Black," along with Chad Cromwell (drums), Rick Rosas (bass), and Tommy Brea (trumpet), it was intended to be a stinging rebuke of U. Les Paul (born Lester William Polsfuss on June 9 1915) is an American Jazz guitarist and Inventor. Old Black is the name given to the main Electric guitar used by rock Musician Neil Young. S. President George W. Bush and the War in Iraq. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign The album was recorded in a two week period in April, and was then made available over the internet from 28 April 2006 before being released as a CD on 5 May. Living with War was Young's most talked about release for years, creating heated political debate and a return to form with perhaps his most critically-acclaimed album since the early 1990s "Godfather of Grunge" era when he was hailed as major influences on grunge pioneers Pearl Jam and seminal indie band Sonic Youth among others. Living with War is a 2006 Grammy and Juno Award -nominated Studio album by Canadian - American Musician Neil Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990 Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981

Neil Young on the CSNY "Freedom Of Speech Tour '06"

In April 2006, it was announced that Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young would embark on their "Freedom Of Speech Tour '06" with Chad Cromwell and Rick Rosas making up the rhythm section. Crosby Stills & Nash ( CSN) is a Folk rock / rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash The tour would see them play dates all across North America. The entire Living with War album was performed on the tour, in addition to other CSN and Neil Young classics such as "Ohio" and "Rockin' in the Free World. Living with War is a 2006 Grammy and Juno Award -nominated Studio album by Canadian - American Musician Neil " Ohio " is a Protest song performed by Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and sung by Neil Young in reaction to the Kent State shootings " Rockin' in the Free World " is a song by Neil Young, released on his 1989 album Freedom. "

In September 2006, the first release from his long awaited Archives project was announced. The Neil Young Archives is a series of archival releases by Neil Young which feature previously unreleased studio and live recordings Live at the Fillmore East features a live set with Crazy Horse including Danny Whitten from 1970. Live at the Fillmore East is a Live album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse with guitarist Danny Whitten. Crazy Horse is a rock band best known for its long association with Canadian singer/songwriter Neil Young, despite having released five albums of its own over Danny Ray Whitten ( May 8, 1943 - November 18, 1972) was an American musician and Songwriter best known for his work with Young had stated in interviews that the release would be followed by a much larger box set of recordings from his early career.

In October 2006, it was announced that a rough-mix version of Living with War, titled Living with War - Raw, would be made available for digital download on November 7. Living with War is a 2006 Grammy and Juno Award -nominated Studio album by Canadian - American Musician Neil It was also announced that a CD/DVD set of this early version of the album would be released on December 19. The DVD includes videos directed by Young of every song on the album, and contain footage of the Iraq War, demonstrations in the US, and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign Albert Arnold Gore Jr (born March 31 1948 is an American environmental Activist, author Businessperson, former Politician, and former An Inconvenient Truth is an American Documentary film about Global warming, presented by former United States Vice President However, when the CD was released, it was titled Living with War: In the Beginning. Living with War In the Beginning is a stripped-down version of Neil Young 's 2006 album Living with War.

It was announced January 16, 2007 that the next release in the Archives Performance Series project would be from January 19, 1971 where Neil performed at Toronto's Massey Hall. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The new release, titled Live at Massey Hall 1971 was released March 13. Live At Massey Hall 1971 is a live album by Neil Young. Released in 2007 the album features a solo acoustic performance from Massey Hall in

The first installment of Young's oft-delayed box set The Archives Vol.01 1963-1972 was officially announced with a trailer and website^{[33] [34]} The box set will feature 8 CDs and 2 DVDs comprising unreleased studio and live recordings, film footage, photographs and personal letters. A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Also accompanying the release is a 150-page book.

It was announced in August 2007 that Neil Young's Greendale will be made into a graphic novel. A release date has yet to be confirmed.

On August 15, 2007, Young played a new album for 100 people at Reprise Records entitled Chrome Dreams II. Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Chrome Dreams II is the 30th studio album by Canadian rock musician Neil Young. (Chrome Dreams was an album he scrapped in 1977, and the name of two different bootlegs. Chrome Dreams is the name of a 1977 unreleased album by Neil Young, and also of an acetate from that period which is claimed to be of that album ) The new album includes two long songs that time in at 18:13 ("Ordinary People") and 14:31 ("No Hidden Path"), respectively. The album consists of three songs written previously and seven new songs, all by Young. The album was released on October 23, 2007, timed to coincide with a seven-week tour that had kicked off in Boise, Idaho, ten days earlier. On January 25, 2008 the premiere of Young's latest work CSNY Deja Vu was viewed at the Sundance Movie Festival.

On February 11, Neil Young started the European leg of his tour with a concert in Antwerp, Belgium. ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those British director and old-time collaborator, Tim Pope, is again working with Young, filming two of the concerts at Hammersmith Apollo. Tim Pope is an award-winning Film director most famous for his Music videos having directed feature films, and for a brief pop career Young has given the green light to complete unreleased material from sessions at the studio Toast in San Francisco. Neil Young said on Tuesday May 6,2008 that he is teaming up with Sun Microsystems Inc. to release a music video archive on Blu-ray DVDs.

Young currently lives on a 1500-acre (6 km²) ranch in La Honda, California, called Broken Arrow. La Honda is a small unincorporated town in San Mateo County in the state of California He also owns property in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and on the islands of Hawaii.

Influence, importance and inspiration

Neil Young has undeniably been an important artist in the history of American popular music and remains a distinct influence upon other recording artists. One of his influences was Bobby Darin. Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert "Bobby" Cassotto, May 14 1936 &ndash December 20, 1973) was one of the most popular Lynyrd Skynyrd’s "Sweet Home Alabama" was written in response to two of Neil Young’s songs "Southern Man" and "Alabama". Lynyrd Skynyrd (ˌlɛnɚdˈskɪnɝd is an American Southern rock band "Ohio" which Young recorded with Crosby, Stills and Nash, was a recollection of the tragic events that transpired at Kent State University in May 1970. Young's willingness to be politically outspoken and socially conscious allowed him to influence such important artists such as Phish, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. Phish is an American Jam band noted for their Musical improvisation, extended Jam sessions and cult following Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990 Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Neil Young is referred to as "the Godfather of Grunge" because of the influence he had on Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder and the entire grunge movement. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist Kurt Cobain quoted Neil Young in his suicide note, using the line “It’s better to burn out, than to fade away” from Young’s song "My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)". Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam inducted Neil Young into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, citing him as a huge influence. He has also been a big influence on experimental rock acts like Sonic Youth and Radiohead. Experimental rock or avant-garde rock is a type of music based on rock which experiments with the basic elements of the genre and/or which pushes the boundaries Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 Radiohead Young’s influence, importance and inspiration within the music scene derive in part from his longevity because of a career spanning more than four decades. His first album was released in 1966 and his latest in 2007.

The Australian rock group Powderfinger attribute their group name to their love of Young. Powderfinger is an Australian Rock band. The band formed in Brisbane in 1989 and since 1992 their line-up has consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists

Achievements

Young was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1982. The Canadian Music Hall of Fame honors Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in Music. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: first in 1995 for his solo work, with an induction speech given by Eddie Vedder, and again in 1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist

He has also directed four movies under his pseudonym Bernard Shakey, and released them through his own Shakey Pictures imprint: Journey Through the Past (1973), Rust Never Sleeps (1979) Human Highway (1982) (starring new wave band Devo), and Greendale (2003). This page is about the film for the soundtrack album see Journey Through the Past. Human Highway is a 1982 Comedy film starring and co-directed by Neil Young under his Pseudonym Bernard Shakey Devo (pronounced DEE-vo (IPA /'diːvoʊ/) or dee-VO (IPA /diː'voʊ/) often spelled "DEVO" or "DEV-O" is an American The bonus DVDs included in both versions of Greendale and in Prairie Wind are also directed by Young under the Bernard Shakey alias, and all of Young's home video and DVD releases have been co-released under the Shakey Pictures imprint. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is

As one of the founders of Farm Aid, he remains on their board of directors. For one weekend each October, in Mountain View, California, he and his wife host the Bridge School Concerts, which have been drawing international talent and sell-out crowds for nearly two decades with some of the biggest names in rock having performed at the event including Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, The Who, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, Sonic Youth and Sir Paul McCartney. The Bridge School Benefit is an annual non-profit charity concert held in Mountain View California every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Trent Reznor (born Michael Trent Reznor on May 17 1965 is an American Musician, singer producer, and Multi-instrumentalist. Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990 Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, The concerts are a benefit for the Bridge School, which develops and uses advanced technologies to aid in the instruction of children with disabilities. Young's involvement stems at least partially from the fact that both of his sons have cerebral palsy and his daughter, like Young himself, has epilepsy. Cerebral palsy ( CP) is an Umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non- contagious conditions that cause Physical disability Epilepsy is a common chronic Neurological disorder that is characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures.

Young was nominated for an Oscar in 1994 for his song "Philadelphia" from the film Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen ended up winning the award for his song "Streets of Philadelphia" from the same film). "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Philadelphia is a 1993 Film revolving around HIV / AIDS, Homosexuality and prevailing attitudes concerning gays and homophobia " Streets of Philadelphia " is an Academy Award and Grammy -winning Song written and performed by American Singer Bruce In his acceptance speech, Springsteen said that "the award really deserved to be shared by the other nominee's song. " That same night, Tom Hanks accepted the Oscar for Best Actor and gave credit for his inspiration to the song "Philadelphia". Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks (born July 9 1956 is an two-time Academy award and Emmy winning American Film actor, director

He was part owner of Lionel, LLC, a company that makes toy trains and model railroad accessories. Lionel LLC is a designer and importer of Toy trains and model railroads, based in Chesterfield Township Michigan. In 2008 Lionel emerged from bankruptcy and his shares of the company were wiped out. At this time his status with Lionel is unknown, according to Lionel CEO Jerry Calabrese he is still a consultant for Lionel. He was instrumental in the design of the Lionel Legacy control system for model trains and it is believed he will continue to develop the system. Young has been named as co-inventor of seven U. S. Patents related to model trains: Nos. 7,264,208; 7,211,976; 6,765,356; 5,749,547; 5,555,815; 5,441,223; and 5,251,856.

Young has twice received honorary doctorates. First in 1992, an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario and secondly in 2006, an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from San Francisco State University. Lakehead University ( LU) is located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Thunder Bay ( 2006 census population 109140 formerly the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur, is a City in and the seat of Thunder Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec San Francisco State University (informally referred to as San Francisco State, SF State, State and SFSU) is a public University The latter honour was shared with his wife Pegi for their creation of the Bridge School.

In a "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list in the June 1996 issue of Mojo magazine, Young was ranked number 9. Mojo is a popular Music Magazine published by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom.

In 2000, Young was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. He ranked #39 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artist of Hard Rock that same year. VH1 (known as VH-1 Video Hits One from 1985 to 1994 and VH1 Music First until 2003) is an American Cable television

In 2001, Young was awarded the Spirit of Liberty award from the civil liberties group People for the American Way. People For the American Way (People For is a progressive, politically liberal Advocacy organization in the United States.

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Neil Young^[35] #34 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[36]

In a "Greatest Living Songwriters" list in 2006 by Paste Magazine Young was ranked number 2 behind Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major

Jason Bond, an East Carolina University biologist, discovered a new species of trapdoor spider in 2007, and named it Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi after Young, his favorite singer. East Carolina University is a public, Coeducational, Doctoral / Research University located in Greenville, North Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi is a Species of Trapdoor spider, described in 2007 by East Carolina University professor of biology Jason E ^[37]

Instruments

Neil Young is a collector of second-hand guitars, but in recording and performing, he frequently uses just a few instruments. As explained by his longtime guitar technician Larry Cragg in the film Neil Young: Heart of Gold, they include:

• 1953 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop—Nicknamed "Old Black", this is Young's primary electric guitar and is featured on Rust Never Sleeps and most other albums. Neil YoungHeart of Gold is a 2006 documentary and concert film by Jonathan Demme, featuring Neil Young. The Gibson Les Paul is a solidbody Electric guitar originally developed in the early 1950s Old Black is the name given to the main Electric guitar used by rock Musician Neil Young. An electric guitar is a type of Guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into an electrical current which is made louder Rust Never Sleeps is a 1979 Album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse (see 1979 in music) Old Black got its name from a purely amateur paintjob applied to the originally-gold body of the instrument, sometime before Neil acquired the guitar in the late 1960s. In 1972, a mini-humbucker pickup from a Gibson Firebird guitar was installed into the lead/treble position, replacing a P-90 as standard on Les Paul guitars from that era. A conventional humbucker (or Humbucking pickup) is a type of Electric guitar pickup that uses two coils both generating string signal The Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric Guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present The P-90 is a Single coil Electric guitar pickup produced by Gibson since 1946. This pickup, severely microphonic, is considered a crucial component of Neil's sound. Microphonics describes the phenomenon where certain components in electronic devices transform mechanical Vibrations into an undesired electrical signal ( A Bigsby vibrato tailpiece was installed as early as 1969 on the guitar, and can be heard clearly during the opening of "Cowgirl in the Sand" from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere. The Bigsby vibrato tailpiece (or Bigsby for short is a type of Vibrato device for Electric guitar designed by Paul A Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969 is Neil Young 's second solo album and his first with backing band Crazy Horse. This guitar also features a mini-switch that is used to send the signal from the mini-humbucker direct to the amp, without going through the volume or tone controls. A Les Paul Gold Top of the same year as Old Black was assembled by Neil's guitar tech, using same style Firebird pick up in the guitar as well as the same model Bigsby Vib; but, according to Young, was just not the same as the original.
• Martin D-45—His primary steel-string acoustic guitar; used to write "Old Man" and many other hit songs. The CF Martin & Company is a US Guitar manufacturer established in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin. A steel-string acoustic guitar, is a modern form of Guitar descended from the Classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter louder sound
• Martin D-28—Nicknamed "Hank" after its previous owner, Hank Williams. Hank Williams ( September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who has The guitar came into Young's possession after Hank Williams, Jr. had traded it to another owner for some shotguns and it went through a succession of other owners until it was located by Young's longtime friend Grant Boatwright. Hank Williams Jr, (born Randall Hank Williams, May 26, 1949) is an American country Singer-songwriter and Musician The guitar was purchased by Young from Tut Taylor. Young has toured with it for over 30 years. A story about the guitar and inspired song known as "This Old Guitar" can be seen about 50 minutes into the film Neil Young: Heart of Gold. Neil YoungHeart of Gold is a 2006 documentary and concert film by Jonathan Demme, featuring Neil Young. It is Young's primary guitar for the album, Prairie Wind. Prairie Wind is a Neil Young album released in 2005 After recent dalliances with 60s soul music ( Are You Passionate?) and rock opera (
• Neil Young can be seen playing a Martin Backpacker Travel Guitar as he sings "Let's Impeach the President" on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. The Colbert Report (/kolˈbɛr rəˈpɔr/&mdashthe t is silent in "Colbert" is a Peabody Award and Emmy Award winning American Comedy Central is an American Cable television and Satellite television channel that carries predominantly Comedy programming
• A 12-string Taylor 855 is used in the first half of the soundtrack and concert film "Rust Never Sleeps"
• 1927 Gibson Mastertone—A six-string banjo, tuned like a guitar. The Gibson Guitar Corporation of Nashville Tennessee, USA is a manufacturer of acoustic and Electric guitars The company's most popular guitar The banjo is a Stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments It has been used on many recordings and was played by James Taylor on "Old Man". James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American Singer-songwriter and Guitarist, born in Boston, Massachusetts
• Various vintage Fender Deluxe amplifiers— Young's preferred amplifier for electric guitar is the diminutive Fender Deluxe, specifically a Tweed-era model from 1959. The Fender Deluxe Reverb is a high-end Guitar amplifier made by Fender. Neil purchased his first vintage Deluxe in 1967 for $50 from the drummer of Crazy Horse, Ralph Molina, and has since acquired nearly 450 different examples, all from the same era, but he maintains that it's the original model that sounds superior, and is a crucial component to his trademark sound. A notable and unique accessory to Young's Deluxe is the Whizzer, a device created specifically for Young, which physically changes the amplifier's settings to pre-set combinations. It has gone through many incarnations, and now includes effects pedals hardwired into its circuitry.
• Gretsch 6120 (Chet Atkins)—Before Young bought Old Black, this was his primary electric guitar used during his Buffalo Springfield days. The Gretsch 6120 is a Hollow body electric guitar with F-holes manufactured by Gretsch and first appearing in the mid-1950's with the endorsement of Buffalo Springfield was a short-lived but influential Folk rock group that served as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills,
• Gretsch White Falcon – Late '50s hollow body that Young purchased near the end of the Buffalo Springfield era; in 1969 Young acquired a stereo version of the same vintage guitar from Stills, and this instrument is featured prominently during Young's early '70s period, and can be heard on tracks like "Ohio," "Southern Man," "Alabama," "L. The Gretsch White Falcon is a visually distinctive guitar commercially introduced in 1955 by Gretsch. Buffalo Springfield was a short-lived but influential Folk rock group that served as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, A. ," others. It is Neil's primary electric guitar during the Harvest era. In Agriculture, the harvest is the process of Gathering mature crops from the fields Reaping is the cutting of Grain
• Neil Young replaced his trademark Les Paul for a Gibson Flying V on the "Time Fades Away" tour.
• Neil Young played a Fender Telecaster on the Tonight's the Night tour and album.

In a large garage underneath his Woodside ranch, Young also maintains a large private collection of classic Detroit-made American cars.

Popular culture

• Two of the domesticated buffalo used in the production of the film Dances with Wolves were borrowed from Neil Young. Dances with Wolves is a 1990 Epic film which tells the story of a United States Lieutenant who travels to the American Frontier to find a military post
• An edited version of Young's song "Rockin' in the Free World" plays in the ending credits of the Michael Moore documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. Michael Francis Moore (born April 23 1954 is an Academy Award -winning American filmmaker author and liberal Political commentator. Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or another to " Document " reality Fahrenheit 9/11 is an award-winning 2004 Documentary Film by American filmmaker Michael Moore which takes a critical look
• In a sketch of Saturday Night Live, guest host Kevin Spacey portrayed Young with his upcoming fictional album entitled "I Do Not Agree with Many of this Administration's Policies". Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26 1959 is an American actor and Film director. An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public Featured songs included: "George W. Liar", "I'm Just Going to Go Ahead and Say It, I Don't Think Iraq is Going Well", "Donald Rumsfeld is a Straight-Up Murderer", and "Dick Cheney is Overweight".
• In the Futurama episode, "Bendin' in the Wind", when Beck and his entourage chase after Bender they get on to Beck's tour bus. Futurama is an Emmy Award -winning animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening, and developed by Groening and "Bendin' in the Wind" is the thirteenth episode in season three of Futurama. Beck' s birth name was Bek see the sources given This is not a typo and should not be changed without good reason As Beck's bus pulls away Neil Young's head is in a jar looking out the window. Behind Young is the head of his Los Angeles scene peer and fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell. Joni Mitchell, CC (born Roberta Joan Anderson on November 7 1943) is a Canadian Musician, Songwriter, and
• In his song 'Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror', Anti-folk singer Jeffrey Lewis describes Neil Young as a standard of songwriter that both he and Will Oldham can only fail to reach - a reason for him to abandon his hopes of being a famous artist. The music sub-genre known as anti-folk (or antifolk) takes the earnestness of politically charged 1960s music and subverts it into something else Jeffrey Lewis (born November 20 1975 in New York City) is an American Anti-folk singer/songwriter and Comic book artist Will Oldham, aka Bonnie 'Prince' Billy (born 24 December 1970 in Louisville Kentucky) is an American Singer, Songwriter,
• The film Canadian Bacon includes the line "Canadians are always trying to figure out a lot of ways to ruin our lives. The metric system, for the love of God! Celsius! Neil Young!"
• In the Canadian Television Series What It's Like Being Alone, Princess Lucy mistakes a guy with a guitar for Neil Young. The metric system is a decimalised system of measurement. It exists in several variations with different choices of base units, though the choice of base units does The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page What It's Like Being Alone is a Canadian Television program which aired on CBC Television in 2006.
• In the Gilmore Girls episode, "Presenting Lorelai Gilmore", Dean and Rory watch a tape of Neil Young's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and Rory points out that Neil Young is wearing a tuxedo, but Dean says "Neil Young looks cool because he's Neil Young, not because he's wearing a tux. Gilmore Girls was an Emmy Award -winning Golden Globe -nominated American Comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino The following is a list of episodes of the Television show Gilmore Girls. " Later on Christopher makes the same point. On another episode titled "Partings" the town troubadour gets a gig opening for Neil Young because scouts liked his song "A Beaver ate my Thumb". It did not go very well, but he did make a reference to the "Heart of Gold" tour.

Discography

Main article: Neil Young discography

See also the discographies for Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

See also

• Canadian rock
• List of musicians from Canada
• Music of Canada

Notes

References

• Cavallo, Dominick (1999), A Fiction of the Past: The Sixties in American History, New York: St. Martin's Press, ISBN 0-312-21930-X .
• McDonough, Jimmy (2002), Shakey: Neil Young's Biography, Random House, ISBN 0-679-42772-4 .

Bibliography

• Skinker, Chris (1998). "Neil Young". In The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 607.
• Adria, Marco, "My Crazy Old Uncle, Neil Young," Music of Our Times: Eight Canadian Singer-Songwriters (Toronto: Lorimer, 1990), pp. 45-64.
• "Clanging New York Subways, Screeches Intact, Go Miniature ", by Michael Brick; New York Times, September 21, 2006
• Shakey: Neil Young's Biography, Jimmy McDonough,pp 347-360.
• Neil Young, the Rolling Stones Files: the Ultimate Compendium of Interviews, Articles, Facts, and Opinions from the Files of Rolling Stone, published by Rolling Stone Press in 1994, ISBN 0-7868-8043-0
• The Faber Encyclopedia of Rock, Phil Hardy, Dave Laing (editors)

Biographies

• Don't Be Denied: the Canadian Years, John Einarson, published by Quarry Press in 1992, ISBN 1-55082-044-3
• A Dreamer of Pictures, David Downing, published by Bloomsbury in 1994, ISBN 0-7475-1881-5
• Neil and Me, Scott Young, published by McClelland and Stewart in 1997, ISBN 0-7710-9099-4
• Neil Young: Zero to Sixty: A Critical Biography, Johnny Rogan, published by Omnibus Press in 2000, ISBN 0-9529540-4-4
• Neil Young : reflections in broken glass, Sylvie Simmons, published by MOJO Books in 2001, ISBN 1-84195-084-X
• Neil Young Nation, by Kevin Chong; published by Greystone Books, 2005, ISBN 1-55365-116-2
• Neil on himself: Neil Young: In His Own Words, by Michael Heatley; published by Omnibus Press, 1997, ISBN 0-7119-6161-1
• Neil on himself: Greendale, The Book, by Neil Young, James Mazzeo; published by Sanctuary Publishing, 2004, ISBN 1-86074-622-5

External links

• Neil Young official website
• Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young Official site
• Sugar Mountain - Neil Young's concert performance set lists
• Neil Young at Allmusic
• Neil Young at the Internet Movie Database
• Concert and Album reviews Thrasher's Wheat
• Hyperrust Never Sleeps, The Unofficial Neil Young Pages, http://hyperrust.org/
• web Neil Young Bibliography
• Neil Young from The Canadian Encyclopedia